The devil took Jesus to a high place and said: "Jump! You'll be fine... ... it is written, 'God will command the angels to protect you; on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' (Luke 4:9-11) Psalm 91 is where it is written. That is why this is … Continue reading Psalm 91, 14 Feb 2016
Psalm 99, 7 Feb 2016
At last, Psalm 99 comes up again! This is worth waiting for. [You scan the verses to see what the urgency is all about. You find bold words about God being enthroned … high above all peoples … proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Well this is all fine but you have heard it … Continue reading Psalm 99, 7 Feb 2016
Psalm 71, 31 Jan 2016
The full psalm, of which we read but 6 verses at this time, touches many of the common ideas sprinkled throughout the psalter; the essential goodness and caring nature of the creator, the rock, the strong fortress; the psalmist seeking succour 'out of the depths' of harsh experience; assurance of a benign protection against inimical powers, … Continue reading Psalm 71, 31 Jan 2016
Psalm 19, 24 Jan 2015
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork (Ps. 19:1) The question of whether the wonders of creation do or do not prove the existence of an omnipotent Creator and intelligent design will always be debated. The psalmist is definitely in the 'do' camp, the theme appearing strongly in many … Continue reading Psalm 19, 24 Jan 2015
Skip and jump; 37, 92, 138
The poetic moods in the psalms range from dark and penitent to skipping and jumping. Sometimes several moods mix in any one song, making the choice of a suitably supportive musical style challenging. The title today is occasioned by a different issue, that of the psalms we do not hear. Some we jump because they did … Continue reading Skip and jump; 37, 92, 138
Psalm 36, 17 Jan 16
Compared with a couple of weeks ago when I felt that we should have started at the beginning of the psalm not half-way through, this time I don't lament that we skip the first four verses. They tell us that the wicked are wicked. Big deal -- although verse 4 about the wicked 'thinking up evil on … Continue reading Psalm 36, 17 Jan 16
Psalm 48, 5 Jul 15
There's something mysterious about high mountains. As Philip Marsden writes: Sacred mountains crop up in most traditional cosmologies... Olympus, Tabor, Sinai, Ararat, Fuji ... it's hard to think of a great mountain that is not linked with the gods or even a distinctive hill that has at some stage generated a local belief. (1) Marsden … Continue reading Psalm 48, 5 Jul 15
Psalm 29, 10 Jan 16
What you see is what you get in this simple song of praise and awe. The poem is all about divine creativity, influence and majesty, poetically characterised as the voice of God. The voice That high-octane voice is declared to be in thunder, in the breaking down of cedars and shaking of lands; we hear of fire, flood and … Continue reading Psalm 29, 10 Jan 16
Psalm 147, 3 Jan 16
The last half-dozen songs in the psalter are songs of praise and joy. Each one begins with a Hallelujah or call of praise to God. This one is longer than most. We start at verse 12, although to my mind the selection is best read in the context of the whole psalm. It rings as a little … Continue reading Psalm 147, 3 Jan 16
Psalm 148, 27 Dec 2015
Those denizens of the deep (Ps.148:7) pop up again after, it seems, so little time. It's exactly a year since our last post on this effusive psalm of praise. At that time, I chose those monsters from the deep for the illustration. Now, with a certain blockbuster movie just released worldwide, maybe I should look upward and choose … Continue reading Psalm 148, 27 Dec 2015
Psalms in the South 